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South African National Cup Series #5 - 2
Pretoria, South Africa, May 23-24, 2009
Race 1 - May 23: Cross country
Bassingthwaighte takes national series
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Marc Bassingthwaighte (Garmin adidas) showed his tactical and technical nous when he launched a well-timed attack to win round five and the MTN National cross country series crown at Fountains Reserve in Pretoria.
Bassingthwaighte, plus Brandon Stewart (DCM Chrome), Roan Exelby (Fullimput Morewood), Craig Paul (Jeep) and Renay Goustra (Team GT) were the five riders in line with a shot at the series title. After seven laps of a twisty, technical course in warm, dry conditions it was Bassingthwaighte who made the most of the challenge and claimed the prestigious title.
"It feels great to win the race and win the series title," said Bassingthwaighte after the finish. "I like this course and always seem to do well here. Today, I felt in control and when Roan went to the front, I just let him set the pace and waited for my moment. On lapsix, I gave it everything and managed to pull a decent gap and I just kept it steady from there."
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After a frantic start, Philip Buys (Garmin adidas) led the field through the first lap, closely followed by Bassingthwaighte and Exelby with Stewart, Paul and Goustra more than 20 seconds back.
On lap three, Buys began to fade and Exelby took the lead. Bassingthwaighte moved steadily onto Exelby's tail and was content to let the Howick rider set the pace. The pair gradually began to extend their lead over the rest of the contenders and on lap six Bassingthwaighte surged strongly, passing Exelby on his way to building a solid lead. He remained in control and extended his lead on the final lap to secure victory in one hour, 59 minutes and 20 seconds.
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Exelby, riding an attention-grabbing prototype South African-made Morewood bike, secured second place 49 seconds later, with a resurgent Buys another five seconds back, taking third overall and securing the Under 23 race victory.
Stewart, who was making a late charge for a podium place, fell victim to a puncture on lap six, losing places to Paul and Bryce Munro (DCM Chrome), who completed the top five overall.
In the women's race, South African champion Yolande Speedy (IMC Momentum) took the lead from the start and never relinquished it, clocking a quick 1:37:01 for the five laps. Sara Muhl (Jeep) finished a distant second, but it was enough to secure her the series title.
Third overall and first Under 23 was Heletjie van Staden (Schwinn) with Janneke Leask (Schwinn) and Tania Raats (Bell Equipment) filling the top five places overall.
"I felt really good today and I actually enjoyed myself out there," smiled Speedy. "This course suits me perfectly and I made the most of it!"
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Carl Scholtz / MIHPhotography
- Yolande Speedy, eventual winner, charges ahead during the elite women's cross country race
- Heletje van Staden rides smartly to win the Under 23 women's category
- Yolande Speedy rides away comfortably ahead of the other women.
- Sara Muhl chases hard for a well-deserved podium
- Heletje van Staden wins the Under 23 women's race
- Yolande Speedy leaves a trail of dust in her wake.
- Yolande Speedy drives the pace at the front of the women's race.
- Yolande Speedy wins the elite women's cross country race.
- The ever-friendly Sara Muhl chases the leader Yolande Speedy.
- Philip Buys leads the pack at the start of the elite men's race.
- Philip Buys leads Roan Exelby acrross a stream in the early stages of the elite men's race.
- Marc Bassingthwaighte, eventual winner, chases hard during the elite men's race.
- Roan Exelby tries a water trick with Marc Bassingthwaighte following closely.
- Marc Bassingthwaighte eventually pulls away from the chasers to win the elite men's race.
- Philip Buys rides a superb race to upstage a couple of elite men during the Under 23 competition.
- Roan Exelby comes down a steep drop in pursuit of the other elite men.
- The top five in the men's race include Rourke Crouser, Paul Craig, Marc Bassingthwaighte (winner), Roan Exelby, Philip Buys.
Results
Elite men 1 Marc Bassingthwaigthe 1.59.20 2 Roan Exelby 1.09 3 Craig Paul 2.48 4 Brandon Stewart 3.40 5 Johnny Kritzinger 3.41 6 Renay Groustra 3.47 7 Hannes Neethling 11.54 8 Erik Kleinhans 13.54 9 Bunnie Loubser 15.46 10 Dion Froneman 16.50 11 Adrien Niyonshuti 17.14 12 Jan Withaar 23.50 Lapped 13 Gavin Rossouw 14 Justin Porteous 15 Jupiter Nameembo 16 Willem Le Roux 17 Ico Schutte DNF Justice Makhale DNF Karabo Swartz DNF Trust Munangandu DNF Petrus Malherbe DNF Drew Murphy Elite women 1 Yolande Speedy 1.37.01 2 Sara Muhl 8.34 3 Tania Raats 16.34 Lapped 4 Carmen Bassingthwaighte 5 Claudia Von Tutschek 6 Karien Van Jaarsveld DNF Shawna Thunder DNF Colette Victor Under 23 women 1 Heletje Van Staden 1.51.14 2 Janneke Leask 1.06 3 Genee Steyn 12.18 Under 23 men 1 Philip Buys 2.00.34 2 Bryce Munro 1.49 3 Dominic Calitz 4.02 4 Matthys Beukes 6.23 5 Francois Theron 6.55 6 Jean-Michael Du Preez 9.52 7 Dwayne Klingbiel DNF Jedson Tooms DNF Max Knox DNF Renier Bellingham DNF Francois Jooste DNF Stuart Fitzpatrick DNS Lucky Mpuru Junior women 1 Candice Neethling 1.22.02 2 Mariske Strauss 1.24 3 Klara Rossouw 10.55 Junior men 1 Rourke Croeser 1.45.35 2 James Reid 1.43 3 Ruan Du Toit 4.03 4 Adriaan Louw 4.12 5 Travis Walker 8.47 6 Warwick Waldeck 10.45 7 Mike Casey 13.42 8 Wayne Gerber 14.55 9 Patrick Reimers 16.51 10 Sboniso Ntombela 17.48 11 Justin Pictor 19.12 Lapped 12 Slahde Seale 13 Jeandre Fourie 14 Ruan Pretorius 15 Donovan Lubbe 16 Ryan Ellis 17 Mark Bridges 18 Allan Britnell 19 Ruan Van Heerden 20 Graham Chrystal 21 Jared Surtees 22 Sebastian Jahnke 23 Lee Beukes 24 Jared Milford 25 Derek Taylor DNF Ruan Van Staden DNF Shaun Silver DNF Roland Grabe DNF Louis Lombard DNF Christopher Banahan DNF Herman Bester DNF Brandon Whiteley Nipper boys 1 Matthew Dinham 24.55 2 Sharjah Jonsson 6.02 3 Hanno Erwee 11.29 Sprog boys 1 Julian Jessop 46.51 2 Dieter Blom 0.28 3 Herbert Peters 2.01 4 Dustin Osborne 4.03 5 Vincent Leygonie 4.05 6 Tristan De Lange 6.18 7 Thomas Jessop 6.28 8 Andrew Hughes 9.30 9 Cameron Macnair 12.22 10 Mikaela Jonsson 23.48 Sub Junior boys 1 Frans Grotepass 1.20.58 2 Alexander Frogley 0.26 3 Jaco Pelser 4.52 4 Joel Hieber 5.40 5 Neil Robinson 8.34 6 Martin Freyer 9.39 7 Jannes Buijs 10.24 8 Alan Hatherly 16.15 Lapped 9 Charl Du Plessis 10 Gerhardus Van Der Bank DNS Devin Kruger Youth women 1 Hayley Smith 1.05.33 2 Vera Adrian 1.53 3 Courtenay Riggien 11.53 4 Rosalea Kubjana 12.06 5 Tayla-Anne Odendaal 13.59 Sub Veteran Women 1 Helen Squirrel 1.32.08 2 Dorette Crous 6.59 3 Mylene Loumeau 9.20 DNS Catherine Roberts Veteran women 1 Rose Mackintosh 1.35.35 2 Woudie Saaiman 1.03 3 Debbie Hughes 12.58 4 Colleen Jacobs 13.40 5 Lauralyn Purchase 15.33 6 Gail Killian 33.14 DNS Alma Bester DNS Helen Gibbings Master women 1 Ann Pearton 1.24.41 2 Bridget O' Meara 1.41 3 Sue Rault 3.04 Youth women 1 Arno Du Toit 1.29.39 2 Luke Roberts 2.15 3 Brendan Davids 3.29 4 Gert Heyns 5.23 5 Jac-Johann Steyn 9.52 6 Ruan Erasmus 12.45 7 Michael Hughes 14.33 8 Stephan Reyneke 15.14 9 Ryan Gibbons 15.57 10 Timothy Munro 19.22 Lapped 11 Emile Klingbiel 12 Ferdi Botha 13 Gregory Avierinos 14 Stefan Colmanet 15 Kyle Wood 16 Tshepo Matlangu 17 Bruce Scheurkogel DNF Reyno Bester DNF Werner Van Heerden DNF Stemmet Marincowitz DNS Paul Kukkard Sub veteran men 1 Paul Cordes 1.47.31 2 Dylan Victor 1.32 3 Gawie Du Plessis 4.39 4 Anton Smal 5.34 5 Shane Jansen Van Vuuren 7.19 6 Brett Dickson 8.53 7 Hennie Kriek 10.26 8 Gerard Dirks 13.04 9 Daniel Paul 14.49 10 Rowan Grobler 19.39 11 Darren Wilson 22.59 Lapped 12 Stuart Carliell 13 Sean O' Flynn-Madden 14 Kevin Buchler 15 Piers Morgan 16 Paul Coetser 17 Christian Van Niekerk 18 Mark Meyer 19 Wayne Le Roux 20 Greg Davis 21 Che Lue 22 Louis Horn 23 Matthew Munting DNF Corrie Moolman DNF Craig Palmer DNF Benedikt Schneider DNF Francois Taljaard DNF Bruce Turvey Veteran men 1 Francois Ebersohn 1.37.08 2 Chris Nel 1.11 3 Louw Gerber 7.13 4 Johann Wykerd 8.49 5 Mark Ziervogel 10.42 6 Fred Leygonie 14.05 7 Gary Neethling 14.37 8 Cameron Middleton 19.53 Lapped 9 Johan Holscher 10 Mark Frogley 11 Alfie Dos Santos DNF Johannes Erwee DNS Allen Dinham Master men 1 Bryan Strauss 1.21.28 2 Chris Brand 0.44 3 Tony Stark 4.18 4 Charles Stander 4.43 5 Cobus Slabbert 8.02 6 Colin Gibbings 8.38 7 Pierre Klingbiel 9.31 8 Arrie Rossouw 14.56 9 Mark Rault 17.52 10 Johan Jacobs 21.32 11 Paul Boshoff 22.28 DNS Charles Roberts Grand master men 1 Ben Cronje 1.11.48 2 Fred Van Zyl 4.22 3 Cobus Du Plessis 5.54 4 Gerhard Degener 16.08 5 Mike Smith 19.52
